Inhibition of human WNK2 at 10 uM after 60 mins by TR-FRET assay

In this Letter, we describe the discovery of selective JNK2 and JNK3 inhibitors, such as 10, that routinely exhibit >10-fold selectivity over JNK1 and >1000-fold selectivity over related MAPKs, p38I+/- and ERK2. Substitution of the naphthalene ring affords an isoform selective JNK3 inhibitor, 30, with approximately 10-fold selectivity over both JNK1 and JNK2. A naphthalene ring penetrates deep into the selectivity pocket accounting for the differentiation amongst the kinases. Interestingly, the gatekeeper Met146 sulfide interacts with the naphthalene ring in a sulfur-I ..more

Abstract: In this Letter, we describe the discovery of selective JNK2 and JNK3 inhibitors, such as 10, that routinely exhibit >10-fold selectivity over JNK1 and >1000-fold selectivity over related MAPKs, p38I+/- and ERK2. Substitution of the naphthalene ring affords an isoform selective JNK3 inhibitor, 30, with approximately 10-fold selectivity over both JNK1 and JNK2. A naphthalene ring penetrates deep into the selectivity pocket accounting for the differentiation amongst the kinases. Interestingly, the gatekeeper Met146 sulfide interacts with the naphthalene ring in a sulfur-I (PMID: 21112785)